Distributed Version Control

Question 2

What is the main characteristic of earlier version control systems (VCSes) like CVS, Subversion, and Perforce?

Answer 2

They used a centralized server to store a project’s history.

This centralization meant that the one server was also potentially a single point of failure.

Question 3

How does Git differ from earlier VCSes?

Answer 3

Git is distributed, meaning a project’s complete history is stored both on the client and on the server.

Question 4

What can you do with Git when there is no network connection?

Answer 4

You can edit files without a network connection and check them in locally.

Question 5

What happens when a server goes down in Git?

Answer 5

You still have a local copy of the project.

Question 6

Is a server required to use Git?

Answer 6

Technically, no. Changes could be passed around via e-mail or removable media.

Question 7

How is Git typically used in practice?

Answer 7

No one uses Git by passing changes around in e-mail or using removable media.